Erika is a retired Atlantic hurricane name. The World Meteorological Organization took it off the lists after the 2015 storm, so no future Atlantic storm will be called Erika. Its place on the list now belongs to Elsa, on the 2027 list. Since 1991, five storms have been named Erika; the strongest, in 1997, peaked as a Category 3 hurricane.
Yes. Erika is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 2015 storm. It is one of 100 names retired there since 1954 (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).
A name is retired when a storm was so deadly or costly that using the name again would be insensitive; the World Meteorological Organization then picks a new name with the same first letter at its annual meeting.
It won’t be. Retired names are not used again on the Atlantic lists. Its place on the list, the E slot, now belongs to Elsa, on the 2027 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2027.
Erika formed in the Atlantic in August 2015 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1001 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Tropical Storm Erika (2015): track and historyErika formed in the Atlantic in September 2009 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1004 mb. It made landfall near Le Moule, Guadeloupe. The system was tracked for 3 days.
Tropical Storm Erika (2009): track and historyErika formed in the Atlantic in August 2003 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 986 mb. It made landfall near Valle Hermoso, Mexico. The system was tracked for 2 days.
Hurricane Erika (2003): track and historyErika formed in the Atlantic in September 1997 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 946 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 17 days.
Hurricane Erika (1997): track and historyErika formed in the Atlantic in September 1991 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 997 mb. It made landfall near Ponta Delgada, Portugal. The system was tracked for 4 days.
Tropical Storm Erika (1991): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erika 2009 | Le Moule, Guadeloupe | 2009-09-02 18:30 | 40 mph / 65 km/h |
| Erika 2003 | Valle Hermoso, Mexico | 2003-08-16 10:30 | 75 mph / 120 km/h |
| Erika 1991 | Ponta Delgada, Portugal | 1991-09-12 03:00 | 40 mph / 65 km/h |
Names go in alphabetical order, one per storm, as each storm reaches tropical-storm strength (39 mph, 34 knots), so a storm’s place in its season decides its name.
In each of 2015, 2009, 2003, 1997 and 1991, Erika was the 5th name used in the Atlantic season.
The most recent was Tropical Storm Erika in 2015, in the Atlantic. It formed on August 24, peaked at 50 mph (85 km/h) and lasted 4 days. It did not make landfall. It was the 5th name used in that Atlantic season. Before that, the name was used in 2009, 2003, 1997 and 1991.
Hurricane Erika in 1997 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 946 mb. It formed in the Atlantic in September. The weakest of the five, in 2015, peaked at 50 mph (85 km/h).